Cholesterol: Know Your Numbers

Cholesterol: Know your numbers

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol levels Cholesterol is a fat-like lipid found in your blood and all of your body’s cells. It cannot be exercised away or burned for energy Optimal Above Borderline High optimal high like fat can be. Total Below 200 200–239 Above cholesterol 240 How is cholesterol measured? LDL cholesterol Below 100 100–129 130–159 Above A cholesterol test measures the amount of two types of (bad) 160 cholesterol and one fat in your blood.These three numbers are Triglycerides Below 150 150–199 Above important to review in determining your risk for heart disease (lower is 200 and stroke. better) + LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is bad cholesterol that can clog your arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. Optimal Below Low optimal + HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is good cholesterol that HDL cholesterol 60+ 40–59 Below 40 keeps your arteries clear of buildup and decreases the risk of (good) heart disease. + Triglycerides are a type of bad fat that can clog your arteries.

What affects my cholesterol numbers? FIND A Call (614) 4-HEALTH (443-2584) PHYSICIAN There are many things that can affect your cholesterol numbers. or visit OhioHealth.com/FindADoctor Some of these things include the food you eat, weight and your family history.

Exercise Stops Reduce Reduce Lose Limit Increase Manage regularly smoking fat intake sugar intake weight alcohol fiber stress

To increase HDL

To lower LDL

To lower triglycerides How foods affect cholesterol

What can I do to improve my cholesterol?

+ Exercise and maintain a healthy weight. + Don’t smoke. + Eat a healthy diet by limiting foods with fat, high cholesterol, sodium and added sugars. + Improve the quality of the fats you choose. Decrease saturated and trans fat, and increase healthier sources of fat, including monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.

Type of fat Food sources Effects on blood cholesterol

Animal fats – fatty beef, pork, lamb, Saturated fat (5-6% of total calories, veal, lard, beef fat, milk fat, bacon fat, ↑ Total cholesterol 13g per day on average if you need to butter, cheese, cream cheese, half and ↓ LDL cholesterol lower your cholesterol) half, sour cream, coconut, palm, palm ↑ HDL cholesterol kernel oil AVOID

Stick margarine, hydrogenated oils, ↑ Total cholesterol Trans fat (Limit to 2% of total calories solid shortening, many cookies and ↑ LDL cholesterol or less) pastries, many fried foods ↓ HDL cholesterol

Egg yolks, liver, organ meats, shellfish ↑ Total cholesterol when ingested (shrimp 40–50 mg/ounce) with saturated fat, or when included Cholesterol in your diet in high amounts (> 200 mg/day)

Polyunsaturated fat Safflower, corn, soybean and ↓ Total cholesterol MODERATION sunflower oils, walnuts, pine nuts, Omega-6 fatty acids ↓ LDL cholesterol seeds, soft or tub margarines, mayonnaise, salad ↑ Potential for inflammation

↓ Total cholesterol Olive, canola or peanut oils, olives, natural nut butters, avocados, ↓ LDL cholesterol Monounsaturated almonds, cashews, pistachios, ↑ HDL cholesterol pecans, hazelnuts ↓ Triglycerides

INCLUDE Salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines, ↓ Triglycerides mackerel, fatty fish, flax and chia ↓ Clot formation Omega-3 fatty acids seeds, nuts ↓ Inflammation ↓ Vasoconstriction